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The fog at the top of the final climb on Wednesday’s stage of the Vuelta a Espana was so thick it was almost impossible to make out who was crossing the finish line. But the picture at the end of another fascinating day was clear enough: Great Britain’s Simon Yates now has just three stages to negotiate, two of them mountainous ones, if he is to make history and win his maiden grand tour in Madrid on Sunday.

Yates saw his advantage over the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde cut to 25 seconds on Wednesday after the Movistar rider got the jump on him at the summit finish above Alto del Balcon de Bizkaia in the Basque Country. But the 26 year-old did well to limit his losses on the day to just eight seconds, following Valverde closely through the fog.

With Thursday’s flat stage from Ejea de los Caballeros to Lleida almost certain to end in a bunch sprint, the likelihood is that Yates will have to fend Valverde off over two mountainous days in Andorra on Friday and Saturday if he is to become only the second Briton to win the Vuelta after Chris Froome's success in 2017.

If Yates - who lives in Andorra with his twin brother Adam, who also rides for Mitchelton-Scott and who is supporting him at this Vuelta - can win it would complete a clean sweep of grand tour victories by different Britons in a calendar year, something which has never been done before.

A fascinating 17th stage was won by Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale team) who emerged strongest from the day’s breakaway.

It was an eventful Stage 17 on WednesdayCredit:
Getty Images

The Canadian beat Belgium's Dylan Teuns [BMC] and Spain's David De La Cruz [Team Sky] to the line after powering away from them in the final 800m of a steep finish, which had ramps of well over 20 per cent.

"My wife and I lost our son,” said an emotional Woods afterwards. “She had a still birth and it was a really tough time. I told her that I wanted to win for him and I did - I can't describe how happy I am right now.

"I thought I had less than 800m to go, but you could not see anything up the road.

"Dylan Teuns was riding super strong and there were a couple of times where I thought I didn't have it but I managed to hold on. This is probably my favourite region in racing.